Eagles Ride so high after super road win

A SUPERB performance on the road catapulted Esh Group Eagles Newcastle back into the BBL title race wth a 76-69 win at Leicester Riders.

The result included an explosive final-quarter burst from the hosts but the Eagles shrugged that off to power home to a vital win.

Newcastle had gone in to the game having lost five of their first 12 league games for the first time since 2006/07.

They were not about to make that a sixth loss as they showed great discipline and showed up with their trademark defence which forced 19 home turnovers on the night.

The first quarter belonged early to the home side as, with the scored tied at 2-2, the Riders produced nine unanswered points to worryingly put the Eagles on the back foot.

Indeed, when Jeremy Smith eventually tripled to cut the gap it had taken the visitors almost five and a half minutes to register that first field goal.

However, it was the spark his side needed and when Rahmon Fletcher scored seven points of his own Newcastle were back within two points.

Pierre Hampton pushed it back to four but Eagles finished the quarter strongly with a 7-2 run capped by a Kyle Williams triple to lead 19-18.

The second period saw Newcastle continue that run as they stifled the Riders’ offence for long periods.

Leicester were forced in to shooting shots they did not want to take but the Eagles did not fully capitalise at the other end.

They did, however, move ten in front with Darius Defoe netting six personal in a 13-4 run where Leicester’s only points came from the freethrow line.

It was over eight minutes before the home fans saw their team net a field goal but two triples in the last two plays did cut into Newcastle’s lead.

The Eagles did edge the second period but may well have been disappointed to head to the locker rooms at the half only 34-30 in front.

The third quarter was a real war of attrition as both sides dominated defensively similar to the first half and neither side could force a real run where they could get themselves free.

Leicester did get themselves back in front for the first time since the early stages of the game. They netted eight free-throws in a row which included one for a technical foul on Defoe to move 44-43 ahead but back came Newcastle led by the mercurial Fletcher, who scored six of a 7-2 run which gave his side a four-point lead to take in to the final period.

Back came the home side again to close within one point.

However Smith, who had not scored since the first period and had suffered from foul trouble, came back on to net ten huge final quarter points to push the visitors ahead again.

Then that man Fletcher sealed the deal with a triple from way down town which gave his side a ten-point advantage at 72- 62.

It was game over as Leicester were left with no time to force any sort of comeback.

LEICESTER : Pierre Hampton 12, DeAndre Burnett 12, Wayne Martin 10, J R Holder 10. NEWCASTLE : Rahmon Fletcher 18, Jeremy Smith 15, Kyle Williams 14.